Disclaimer: I don't Naruto, it belongs to Kishimoto - sama and all of the producers and editors which helped create the anime. This is purely for fun and stress relief.

Warning and Tags: NaruHina & SasuSaku are the main pairings with NejiTen and ItaFem!Shisui as side pairings; if you don't like them, please don't read this story. Cold!Hinata and Fiesty!Sakura. Mentions of Drugs, Mafia, Guns, Blood, Death, Slightly Dark, Mentions of Abuse, Coarse Language, Perverted Stuff(Kakashi & Jiraiya), ships are slow burn.

~ Titania of Fairies

"I am beautiful, no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down."

- China Anne Mcclain

The original definition of a soulmate is; a person whose atoms are compatible and well suited with your own. However, as the years went on and words got warped in lies and deceit, there became another meaning of a soulmate. It became, the person that was meant for you. Not that this subject isn't fine, it is; however, the way that people begun to use it, isn't. A soulmate became a need instead of a want and most found themselves bending over backwards, just so that their other half wouldn't leave them.

That was how Sakura had grew up.

Most of her childhood years was lived in a home where no love thrived. Her mother, a woman who used to be so remarkably fiery, had tamed herself down, in order to meet the needs of her father. The pinkette remembered how her mother had once wanted to be a biologist, how she had wanted to tour the world. However, the moment her father had said that he didn't want a working wife, she had quit her passion and resigned herself to the job of a stay at home mom.

Yet, Sakura loved her mother. Through all of the flaws that she had, Haruno Mebuki was a kind and caring woman. She was gentle and extremely optimistic, often cheering up the younger girl with a few words and a smile. One, which became strained with sadness, when her father Haruno Kizashi, came home.

The young girl knew that her father wasn't a bad person, however, his morals on the other hand, weren't as clear. As a high paid hacker and software engineer, he was extremely busy and rarely spent any time with them. Sakura didn't care that about his absence in her life, however, she only wished that she could say the same for her mother, who would stay up all night, just to realize that he wouldn't be coming home on time. The pinkette often wondered how powerful a soulmate must be, because the fact that a single smile from Kizashi, could light her mother up like a firework wasn't lost on her.

It really must've been strong, considering the fact, that his disapproval, caused Mebuki to have stained cheeks, the following morning.

"Sorry, I don't think that this is the right number, call again, never." Was what was printed on her arm, in a deep purple color. Sakura grinned slightly, every time she looked at it. Although the words were harsh, borderline rude, the young girl couldn't help, but giggle at how silly her soulmate sounded.

The pinkette couldn't wait to meet him (Or her, Sakura wasn't really all that picky).

Then, the troubles started.

The young girl couldn't help that notice that Ino, her old friend, had started to become distant. What was worse, was that, said girl had begun hanging out with the young girls' bullies. The eight year old, found herself slowly pulling away from the blonde, the bond stretching farther and farther out.

However, soon, that was the least of her worries.

On March 28th, 2008 - Haruno Mebuki, died; exactly on her daughters birthday.

There was no happiness that year.

Mebuki had died when a drunk driver hit her while she had been crossing the street. That year had been dark for the pinkette, most of her nights spent tossing and turning, in anger and hatred. Her heart grew cold and her head, empty and she prepared herself for what was to come. Her father became distant, and she scarcely saw him in the house.

Why, her? Why did her darling, beautiful mother, have to leave?

It wasn't fair and it wasn't long, before she wanted it to end.

…

...

A year passed and Sakura's dreams about a soulmate grew even wilder than before, going as far as to think of whoever it was, as a knight in shining armor. Someone who would whisk her away from the cold confines of her house and the strict gaze of her father.

She knew that was impossible however, only princesses deserved knights.

She was no princess.

One evening, as she sat down to call up her aunt - her mothers younger sister, Sakura paused as she realized that she had forgotten the last two numbers of her phone number. It was a dull and a rainy night, one which evoked feelings of exhaustion and weariness from people. The pinkette was too frustrated at the moment, to go back to the kitchen and look for it, so she tried to remember from memory, and punched in the last two numbers - hoping that they were right. As the phone rang, the nine year old traced a few lines on her windowpane, watching as the raindrops filtered down. Finally the line was picked up and Sakura found herself blurting her angry words out, without waiting for the other person to respond.

"Aunt Fura, the world wide world sucks! People should just go die in a hole."

The line, on the other end, was silent of words and instead, Sakura heard, a set of muffled grunts. Puzzled, the pink haired girl opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, when a calm and low voice answered her call. One which caused her to sit back, stunned in her seat.

"Sorry, I don't think that this is the right number, call again, never."

Her cheeks turned pink as her hand pressed up to her heart, as the phone beeped once, saying that she'd been hung up on. A small smile pulled at her lips and for the first time in a while, she felt light.

Kind of odd, considering the fact of how she'd just been insulted.

Her father had noticed her dreamy expression and had demanded to know the cause of it, immediately. While she hadn't expected anything good to come out of it, she didn't think that he would shake his head at her and frown, before telling her that it was best if she didn't worry about such useless things. Instead, he wanted her to focus on her grades, stating that she had allowed her maths, to slip to an A instead of the 100% she had.

She had wanted to cry, that night - as all of her insecurities rose up again, like a snake. What if he/she really didn't like her(although it did sound like a boy)? She wondered, sometime deep into the night, questions haunting her brain. They had to like her, after all, she was their soulmate, right?

Sniffling, she had vowed to make them like her, she would!

So, she groomed herself. She became the best what she did and the best of who she was; she wanted to be perfect for her soulmate. She could hear her mother agreed with her actions, sending a cheerful dark giggle her way when she did something right(she could hear it, whispering to her in her sleep, bathing her, in the exhaustion). Even her father started to recognize her, congratulating her occasionally and while she didn't care about what he said - she really didn't - it felt wonderful to be noticed by him. At the age of nine, she had become the top student in her class, winning over the teachers with a wonderful smile. She didn't have any friends, she didn't need them; after all, they'd just hurt her, like Ino. Besides would only get in the way, just like that idiot Uzumaki who always asked her out. Didn't he understand that by now, she would always say no? Naruto wasn't her soulmate.

Then, in fifth grade, he came along.

He was perfect, just as the young girl had ever imagined. Short raven locks, with pale contrasting skin. Dark onyx eyes peered away at her, while pink lips twisted into a smirk. Uchiha Sasuke, was her soulmate, one which she found she hated and yet, adored.

Her heart had nearly thudded out of her chest, when she first saw him. Opening her mouth, she had been prepared to greet him warmly, when he responded first, shooting down all of her hopes and crushing her heart in her chest.

"I don't need a soulmate."

Those words, those haunting words, pushed her back with a fury which she couldn't even imagine. Her eyes stung with tears as he walked away, not even allowing her time to speak. She had almost died of embarrassment, running home and crying into her pillow. Finally, after a long breakdown in solitude; she wiped her eyes and rose her head.

Fine. If that idiot Uchiha said he didn't need her; then she would prove him wrong, and show him that he did. Nobody rejected Haruno Sakura.

Nobody.

She had been prepared to greet him once more the next day, determined to at least be his friend. However, that plan snapped when she found Yamanaka Ino, hanging all over him. How dare that betraying feline touch what was hers! Her anger had grown and she found herself fighting for his attention once more, acting angry and even forceful. Often, she resorted to using her fists against those who tried to beat her, giving them all a certain glare.

How dare they touch her Sasuke - kun! She was the only one who got to do that, after all, he was her soulmate!

So then why was the only thing she received from him, his disgust?

She didn't understand.

So she tried harder. Maybe he just didn't like tomboys? Make-up and diets appeared in her list, and everyday she spent hours upon hours just deciding on what to wear to school. It wasn't long, before it felt like her life was spiraling out of control. Her smiles became faker, although her tears at night, were still very much real.

This continued onwards for three years, each one progressing worse than the last. It wasn't long before the Uchiha hated her, and that he thought of her like every other girl in the school; foolish and irritating. Sakura herself begun to feel heavy, her heart breaking every time he looked away from her, anger hidden in his eyes.

Then, came the school project.

It was an assignment in eight grade, one which said that every student in the school would be divided into groups of three, to get to know and understand the concept that they were learning better. Their goals was to learn about the reality of the world, and find a way to thrive in it. They had a year to summarize it and give a report to the entire class.

That year...had been one of the best, in Sakura's life and it just wasn't because she had Sasuke on her team.

Originally, while she'd been disappointed about being paired with Naruto. However, after some time, she found that she really had prejudged the boy. It wasn't long, before her hard, annoyed, slaps, turned fewer and fewer, and her frowns turned into reluctant smiles. The preteen even found herself warming up to Kakashi-sensei, although she still hated his late tendencies.

Slowly, as the year flew by, she found herself growing closer to all of them, her screechy tactics, reducing slightly. Sakura started to find things which she had never know about the three of them, her mind covered in new information.

Then, one day, around three fourths through the term, it hit, of how selfish she was. Of how, worthless she was, compared to them.

Naruto had been abandoned by his parents at the young age, and resorted to pulling his own weight, by the time he was six. Not once did he have anyone sheltering him from the harsh oddities of the world, or the cruelness that was the dark. Yet, he always kept his smile on, through rain or sun.

Sasuke was the forgotten child of the Uchiha clan, always being overshadowed by his elder brother. His father rarely spent any time with him, always preferring to groom his elder brother to lead their company next. Not even his mother could say anything against the pain that he felt everyday.

Even Kakashi-sensei, had a past worse than hers, and yet, he was still far ahead of what she was - of what she wanted to be!

All of them - they were so much more amazing then her.

As the thirteen year old stared at the backs of the three, she found the urge to cry overwhelming.

She'd always be left behind, wouldn't she?

By her father, by her mother, by her best friend and now, by her teammates?

She didn't want that to happen.

So, she charged forwards, her tears rippling behind her, in waves.

This way, they wouldn't be able to touch her.

It was only on her thirteenth birthday that Sakura learned to let go.

She went without makeup that day and met up with her team. Her sensei had seemed surprised that she hadn't brought up the special occasion, however, she had no wish to ruin the evening with own troubles.

Besides, her birthday hadn't been something that she'd celebrated, for a long time.

The four of them had laughed and spoke together all day and not once, did she obsesses over the onyx haired Uchiha. Sakura even stayed quiet when Ami squealed and attached herself to the youngest boy, in their group. Naruto had laughed, but the pinkette had bit her lip and turned away.

If Sasuke didn't want to push the other girl away, she wouldn't force him too.

The entire day, she'd been receiving odd looks from both of the boys on her team, returning each of them, with a bright smile and a jangled laugh.

Really, what did they expect? Her to stay annoying forever?

No. She was done with that.

…

...

"Hey Sakura - chan?" Uzumaki Naruto asked, as the three of them walked alongside of the Nakamura river.

As Sasuke looked over at the blonde, Sakura giggled, while mentally preparing herself for hearing something that make her roll her eyes and yet laugh.

"What is it, dobe?"

"Hey...I was talking to Sakura - chan!" Naruto whined, before looking at the small grin on said girls face.

"It's alright Naruto, what was the question?" Sakura asked, her face slowly turning towards the sky, which was turning a light pink in color.

"Hm, why are ya acting so strange today?" The blonde asked, his head leaning back, onto his hands.

The pinkette would've lied if she had said that it didn't give her a thrill of happiness when she found Sasuke listening into their conversation, as well. However, her face showed no indication and the perfectly placed confusion on it, was very well acted, if she didn't say so, herself.

"What do you mean?"

Kakashi - sensei's eyes sharped behind them and Sakura could feel his overbearing eyes burning into her back.

'Well, it was nice to know that we're loved.' Her inner voice responded sarcastically causing her to quiet the other woman down, in her head.

"Well," Naruto said, scratching his head. "You're acting a bit different, then normal."

"Is that a bad thing?" The pinkette asked, her palms growing sweaty.

"Naww...you know what, just forget about it!" Naruto exclaimed, before a cheeky smile grew on his face. "After all, Sakura - chan, is always Sakura - chan."

Ignoring the pink hue on her cheeks, the young girl turned around, before seeing the incredulous expression on the other boys face. "How cheesy could you get, dobe?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

"Now Sasuke - kun," The girl said, listening to her brain just once, "I thought it was really sweet."

"What?" Sasuke asked, but was overshadowed by Narutos' shout of happiness.

"Really!?" He asked her, peering up at her, with a joyful expression on his face, one which caused her heart to pang slightly.

Had she really hated him? The one person who was always kind towards her?

'You don't deserve it.'

'Shut up.'

"Tch. Whatever."

Grinning slightly, and holding the urge to coo slightly at his tsundere look, Sakura sighed, before shaking her head. "Anyways -" She started, turning towards her teacher, "What are we doing today Kakashi - sensei?"

"Hmm?" Her wayward teacher asked, his attention moving from that awful, perverted orange book that he was holding, towards her - honestly, Sakura wondered why he even read such filth. "What did you say?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but actually, it was Sasuke that beat him to the punch, surprising the pink haired girl.

"She asked where we were going today."

"Oh," The silver haired man said, shutting his book closed. "Well, considering the fact that today is a very special day, I thought that we should celebrate it."

As Sakura tensed up, both Naruto and Sasuke snapped their heads towards him.

"What do you mean!?" The blonde demanded to know, his eyebrows scrunching together.

"Well.." Kakashi began, grinning underneath his mask, at the way Sakura's eyes widened in worry. "Today is the last weekend before school ends for break-"

"Hell yeah! No more school!" Naruto screamed, throwing his hands up in the air, causing Sakura to twitch.

"Baka! Let sensei finish!" Sakura said, knocking him on the head, exhaling in relief.

"That you Sakura - chan," Kakashi said, shaking his head mockingly at Naruto, "You should learn from her Naruto."

"Aww…"

"Now sensei, don't mock him." The pinkette answered, shocking her three other teammates, for the fourth time that day.

"You're right." Her silver haired sensei said, his only free eyes looking her up and down, in a confused fashion, before it dawned in a strange way of understanding. He reached out his hand, and ignored her flinch, when he placed it on her head. "Sorry Sakura."

Sakura, not Sakura - chan.

The girl in question smiled, it seemed that her sensei realized her change. Good, that was good, right? He would now know how awesome she was going to become, right? He would now know that she was not willing to be left behind? It was a good thing, of course it was, but then why? Why, did her heart hurt?

Maybe it was because, he would never see her the same.

"Anyways…" She continued onwards, clearing her throat, and ignoring the pink hue that rose to her cheeks, "What are we doing today again?"

"Oh that….."

"You forgot again, didn't you sensei?" The lone Uchiha on their team asked, his mouth forming an annoyed grimace.

"Well I thought we could go visit Tora, after all, he must be lonely..."

Ignoring Naruto's shriek of denial, and the groan that was dragged from Sasuke's lips, Sakura smiled brightly, her heart feeling light and airy, from the whole aura of it all.

Although she didn't show it a lot, Sakura very much loved her teammates.

...

...

The moonlight lit up the night sky, as the stars gleamed from above. The pink haired young teenager sighed, as she ran her hands up and down her full sleeved shirt, ignoring the cold air, that hit her body. A puff of air escaped her lips, as she closed her eyes, exhaustion pressing onto her shoulders, while her head lifted in pride. She had resisted fangirling over the Uchiha, all day, something which, was noteworthy to her.

Heh. Sakura knew she couldn't change herself overnight... but how she acted today, was a far cry from last month, or even, hell, last week. If she kept this up, it wouldn't be long, before she completely stopped thinking about him. What a relief that would be - it would be easier for her to stop obsessing over him.

To stop liking him, on the other hand, was something, she wasn't sure would ever be able to let go.

As for love, well, what did she know about love anyways? All she was doing, was copying what her mother did for her father, and hoping for the best result. Well, it wasn't working, and Sakura was done, being someone who she wasn't. It would take some time - years, quite possibly - for her to become herself again, however, she was prepared to do whatever it took.

Whether her soulmate liked it or not.

"Sakura." A voice spoke from behind her, causing the young girl to whip around, tensed. What she hadn't expected, was a blanket to be thrown onto her face.

"Wha-" She started to say, but was cut off, by the object of her suppressed affections.

"Don't stay outside for long. You'll get a cold, Usuratonkachi."

By the time she had taken the blanket off of her face, the broody boy was already gone, leaving her and her pink cheeks, behind. Raising a fist to her chest, the young girl inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the fast pulse of her heart and the lack of air in her lungs. Shuddering, her eyes twitched, as she tried to steady her voice.

Fuck this. Honestly, just when she was trying to get over him, he started doing stupid things like this. How dare he! Didn't he realize how hard she was trying? Couldn't he see, all of the effort she spent, just to make sure that she didn't smother him? She just wanted to give him space, and herself, some time, to understand what exactly she wanted to do with her life. Who she wanted to become, as a person. Was that really too much to ask?

What would her father do in this situation-

Sakura chocked at that thought, before tears began to slip down her eyes. The young girl furiously wiped her face, desperately trying to stop herself from crying, after all, nothing good ever came out of it. Really, it had been years since, she had last thought of what her father would want her to do, what had brought it up now? No that was a lie, everyday she lived, was something made by her father. Shaking her head, the pinkette sighed, as her stained cheeks faced the scenery in front of her, her mind whirling in old memories, ones which she wished, she could filter out.

It didn't matter, she finally realized. It didn't matter, what her father would've thought, because he wasn't Sakura. The only thing that mattered, was what Sakura thought, and what Sakura thought, Sakura would do. She was done, fulfilling her others needs and wants.

'Now then,' Her inner voice whispered towards her, causing her to calm down and think 'What should we think about this situation.'

Finally, she settled on one thing, that made her palms unconsciously sweaty, and her heart race slightly. Honestly, there really was no other answer, as there was nothing that the young boy could ever gain from doing something like that - (other than the fact that he wanted to get on her good side, but that was highly unlikely) - so the answer was fairly simple.

He was just being nice.

With a smile playing on her lips, Sakura bent her head downwards, her hair shaking into her vision. Really, he constantly surprised her, by doing small, minor things, such as this. However, she couldn't say that she hated him for it.

After all, that was why she fell for him, in the first place.

Rubbing her eyes once more, Sakura sighed, before pulling the blanket over her arms, relishing in the warmth that she gained from it. Ignoring her urge to cry once more, the young girl winced, as a familiar ache formed in her stomach.

Damn. She was hungry again - well, it was good thing she wasn't dieting anymore.

...

...

"I want to be a doctor."

Haruno Kizashi, stared at his thirteen year old daughter, his eyes slightly widened, at her statement. Slowly, setting down his pen, the man took off his glasses and ruffled his head, his hair falling limp against his face. With his light green eyes, he took in the frame of his daughter, his face softening, when he saw the diffident look in her eyes. Her posture was rigid, almost like a tree that would budge, and her arms were clenched towards her sides, the palms of them white - with crescents due to her nails.

"Why?" He asked, watching as Sakura's posture slackened, and a sliver of confusion entered her eyes. Really now, he knew he wasn't the best father one could have, but he liked to think that he was average and would actually give his daughter a chance to speak.

"W - Well..." His daughter started, before clearing her throat. "I want to help people, if I do that, maybe, maybe, i'll be able to prevent what happened to..kaa - san."

Inhaling sharply, the older man, sighed into his hand, as he raised his eyebrow towards his daughter. Finally, he shook his head, before cracking his neck, contemplating the following two questions.

"You won't be able to save everyone, you know." He finally replied, waiting until the younger girl began fidgeting.

"I know." Sakura said, almost instantly after. "But i'm going to try."

"What if, I don't approve?"

At this, the young girl bit her lip, before straightening up her spine, and looking Kizashi straight in the eye. Her hands folded together in the front of her body, as her head was held high, higher than it ever had been in front of him before. "It...it doesn't matter if you don't agree. This is my life and I will do what I want with it! I just told you, because - because family should support each other. Even if you say no, i'll become a medic by my-"

The young girl was cut off, by her father putting his hand on her shoulder. Flinching slightly, she turned to look at him, her eyes exceptionally wide. "Calm down Sakura." Kizashi said, smiling ever so slightly. "I'll support you, no matter what you do."

"B - But-" The younger girl spluttered. "But you just said-"

"Ah. Sorry about that, however, I had to make sure that you were serious about your goals." The other man finally uttered, smiling softly at his daughter.

"I - I, I am." The pinkette finally said, her face gaining a slight hint of color back.

Her father shook his head, his smile turning rueful. "I know you are. It seems that just yesterday, you were dreaming of your soulmate and yet, you've already changed so much. You've grown Sakura."

"I..." The young girl was at a loss of words, tears welled in her eyes. "Tou - san..."

All those years, she had thought that he was scorning her, and was disappointed her for surviving when her mother didn't. Yet, here he was - giving her the very words which she had yearned for.

Didn't he hate her...no, that wasn't right, he didn't hate her - in fact, the pinkette remembered the times where she had a late project and would fall asleep, only to wake up in her bed. She remembered that whenever she was in a bad mood, her aunt would appear unexpected, on their doorstep a smile on her face. Whenever she asked her how she got their, she smiled, and said that her father needed help - only for her father to never appear during their bonding time.

Even when he scolded her for daydreaming over her soulmate, it had been done out of the worry in his heart - one that said the if she didn't stop, that she would slip too far.

Ignoring the way her father squawked in surprise, Sakura launched herself at him, a loud sob tearing itself out of her throat. Her arms circled around her waist, as she buried her face into his chest - warmth radiating off of his body, as he raised his arms to hold her as well, if not albeit awkwardly. This. This is what she had been missing for the most of her life.

She had finally gotten was she had wanted.

Smiling softly, the pinkette only buried herself deeper into her fathersembrace, when he kissed her head softly. Inhaling deeply, the younger closed her eyes as she realized that this was now a new chapter in her life - a new future.

Sakura knew that she couldn't forgive him that easily, after all, he had ignored both her mother and her, for half of her life, but it was was a start and he was actually making an effort to try.

"I know I don't say enough, but I want you to know that I mean it, when I say that I love you."

And sometimes, that was all it took.

So it was decided.

Sakura sighed, as she stared up into the empty area around her, the fireworks bursting in air - lighting up the now dark and starless sky. The sounds echoed in her ears as she closed her eyes, in order to capture that moment in her memory. Snow lightly dusted around her, making her body shiver slightly - although most of it was warm because of the ridiculous amount of layers she was wearing. Her dark red yukata swirled around her legs, as the binding clung tightly around her waist, fastening itself towards her stomach. Flowers flowed from the top of the clothing, to the bottom - the embroidered petals standing out with their orange glow. The side of her yukata was heavy, due to the wrapped parcel which was kept there - one which caused her conflicting emotions. Her green eyes peeked out from the newly cut bangs of her hair, as her neck felt free, from the newest change in her appearance.

She had cut her hair.

The previous waist length pink hair was chopped off into a straight bob, leaving wisps of it near the top portion of her neck. Newly shaped bangs framed her face, causing them to shadow over the tops of her eyes, changing the way she exposed her emotions.

Cutting of her hair was a major challenge for her.

It had taken her days to convince herself into doing it, and even as she had stared at her reflection in the mirror, she'd been having doubts. Every time she rose her shaking hands to cut off another strand of her precious hair, a wail had escaped from her mouth. She had to repeatedly tell herself that it was just hair, so that she could calm down. It seemed to take forever, however soon, most of her hair hand been chopped off, surrounding her body on the floor - and her shoulders had been trembling slightly. She had then, taken a deep breath before wiping off the trail of tears which had stuttered out of her eyes, before smiling at herself in the mirror, her eyes red and puffy. Her shoulders relaxed slightly and her heart beat softly, as her skull moved back and forth - relishing in the sudden weightlessness that was formed on her head.

So that was it then, another tie had been cut.

"You seem distracted."

Snapping her head to the side, Sakura jumped slightly - her memory fading away as she smiled at the figure of her soulmate. "Ah, Sasuke - kun. Sorry, I didn't hear you coming."

Short ebony lock were pulled back from the thirteen year olds face, leaving more of his already aristocratic features to be highlighted from the lights. His body was clothed with a long black kimono, the ends of them, tied together with a shining white obi. His eyes flashed as they roamed over her figure, causing her heart to grow warm.

"Hn." The onyx haired Uchiha responded, before pining her face with a weird look. "You cut your hair. Why?"

The question was tinged curiosity, one which Sakura resisted the urge to smile at. Ah, so it seemed that even Sasuke knew the ridiculous rumor about how he only like girls with long hair. The pinkette herself couldn't help, but scoff at that rumor, even thought she was one of the many which had followed in religiously. It was stupid, after all, one should love someone because of their personality not looks.

She was glad that she'd finally learned that lesson.

Letting out a light chuckle, Sakura shook her head, before talking. "Well, I just felt that it was time for a change."

The younger boy remained silent, as the older thirteen year old partially turned back around, before placing a hand onto the railing, which stopped her from falling into the wide lake bellow them. A smile tugged at her lips, as she felt the boy walk up next to her - managing to capture his own movement through the corner of her eyes.

"It looks nice." He finally said, causing her heart to stutter to a stop.

'This boy.' The emerald eyed girl thought, now outright staring at him - just managing to catch the slight hint of pink on his cheeks, as he turned his head in the opposite direction. He was just too precious for words, wasn't he? Her beating heart and warm cheeks certainly said so.

Smiling gratefully at him, Sakura swiped most of her hair out of her face, before trying to calm her racing heart - surprisingly, it was easier than she had expected it to be. "Thank you, Sasuke - kun." She finally said, watching as he grunted slightly, causing her to laugh softly.

Really, it was nice to be around him when he wasn't ignoring her and she wasn't fangirling over him - it almost felt right, the pinkette realized as she relaxed her tensed shoulders ever so slightly. Maybe this was the reason her motherloved being with her father.

"Where are Naruto and Kakashi-sensei? Didn't they come with you?" Sakura asked, before craning her head to try and see them over the large crowd behind her - however, her attempts had no luck and she was left with staring at the Uchiha.

Not that there was any problem with that.

"No." The Uchiha said, before hesitating and continuing. "The dobe wanted to go to the eating competition - he said that he would win."

"Idiot. That sounds like him." Sakura said fondly, before shaking her head. "Let me guess, Kakashi-sensei went after him, in order to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid."

"Yes."

Sakura sighed, a rueful smile coating onto her face. "Thought so." Suddenly, confusion struck her, as she turned to stare at the onyx haired boy. "Then why did you come here?"

"I was looking for you." Sasuke said simply, causing the pinkette to tilt her head, once more.

"What? Why?" Sakura asked, clueless. Had it been four months ago she'd probably been leaping for joy by this time. However, with her new attitude, all it did was make her confused.

"You..." He seemingly trailed off, before starting again. "No reason."

"I see." The thirteen year old replied softly, peering at the younger boy. As she scanned the ebony eyed boy from top to bottom, the realization that she wasn't wearing heels and was looking down at him, made her pause in shock.

'We're... actually taller than him. HA HA! Take that arrogant, egotistic, Uchiha!' Her inner voice shouted vindictively, causing her to wince before cracking a smile at the statement.

The onyx haired boy, stared at her for a few minutes, before shaking his head softly. Gritting his teeth, he turned around, before huffing, his lips pulling into a pout (not that he'd ever admit it) - one which Sakura knew exactly what caused it. Sasuke would never admit it, but this new change of hers unnerved him, making it hard for him to know how to act around her. Before he could be cold and snappy, because he had a reason, but not, that could be considered as hostile - something which the Uchiha couldn't let their children seem like.

"So, I heard you were going to Konoha High School." The pinkette finally said, before smiling a bit bigger. "You must be excited, it's a very prestigious school, isn't it? I heard that they ranked number one, in the ranking list last year." The tightly wrapped package moved against her leg, causing her to shift slightly - as she didn't want it to fall out.

"Hn." Sasuke said, tilting his head, something which Sakura learned to take as acceptance. "They did. The dobe got in too. I don't know how, his grades used to suck from hell to back."

"Naruto probably got in due to the athletics program, I wouldn't put it past him to get in due to something sneaky like that." Sakura reasoned, watching as the Uchiha grunted once more. "Besides, you have to admit that they've been getting better ever since Kakashi-sensei, Kushina - san and I began to tutor him."

Imagine her shock when Naruto wasn't an orphan and hadn't been abandoned. Apparently, due to a failed kidnapping scheme (probably due to the fact that Minato - san was the leader of Namikaze Corporate), Naruto had been taken from his family at a young age and pushed onto the streets.

To say Sakura was angry was an understatement, what family let their own son become kidnapped!? Furious, she'd gone to have a word with the couple who called themselves his so called 'parents' (as she already considered the boy an annoying younger brother - not that she'd ever admit it), only to be greeted with honest faces and the truth.

Kushina - san and Minato - san were truthful - they didn't expect forgiveness easily, but they were prepared to earn it. Not to mention, they had been searching for Naruto for over seven years. However, it was only when Kakashi-sensei talked about how Naruto was one of his new students, did they manage to realize who he was, and find him. (It was ironic, considering the fact that the couple was close to the Uchiha family as well). The blonde took like a fish to water to the family, even calling the little girl that the couple adopted, as his own sister.

That was all it took for her to sigh and begrudgingly let the whole thing go, thinking that she'd forget about them in no time - only for the couple to become like relatives to herself. Honestly, the amount of times she stayed over at their house, one could almost imagine that she was their daughter, something which while they didn't mind, she wasn't quite ready to think about. She had her father and that was enough, but it was nice to have another aunt and uncle - especially ones who understood her.

Suddenly, a angry tick mark appeared above her eye, as she began rubbing her arms together, in a perilous manner. "He has been getting better grades right!?" Anger formed her mind at the prospect that the blonde had been lying to them.

Sasuke swallowed, before hastily replying, trying to calm her down. By now, even he knew of her horrid temper, considering the fact that sometimes it had been centered on him. After all, while Naruto was a dobe, he didn't deserve total hell in human form. "His overall grade has been raised from a F to a B plus."

"Good." Sakura said, her thorns instantly residing. "That's good."

A silence descended on the two of them, one which wasn't heavy nor suffocating. In fact, the pinkette rather enjoyed it, as it gave her a moment to center her thoughts. Only for the silence to be broken, as the Uchiha narrowed his eyes and turned towards her, confusion in his voice.

"Wait, why are you asking me about Konoha High? Didn't you get in? One would think that with your grades, you would have no problem."

"Why Sasuke." Sakura spoke, with her lips turning into a smirk and a single eyebrow raised above the other. "Are you giving me a complement?"

"It's fact. Now please answer it." The boy said, ignoring the way how his cheeks flushed pink and his voice grew flustered.

With her own smirk dropping like a metal ball, Sakura sighed, as she replied. "I didn't get in, because I didn't apply - it's as simple as that."

"Explain. Now."

'Arrogant Uchiha.'

'Aren't they all?' Sakura answered back, to her inner voice, sighing internally.

'Touché.'

"I..." She stared, before trailing off and staring again, nerves brimming at the surface of her skin. "I've been thinking, y'know about what I want to do, when I, um grow up."

Coughing lightly, she tried to clear her throat, confidence coming back to her, once she began talking about what she loved. "I want to become a Medic so I can help people and while Konohagakure High, is a great school, it doesn't really have a medic program."

"Which school are you going to then?"

"Guess."

Sasuke seemed to have a curious expression on his face. His eyes were dilated, while his mind seemed to ponder over all of the information. Sakura didn't doubt that he'd get it, after all, he was a genius in his own right.

After contemplating it for a few minutes, the boy replied. "You're going to the Shizo School of Medicine and Arts, right?" Waiting for a few moments, the boy watched as his female teammate nodded, before smiling. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd talked about it in the last two months.

"Yeah. I applied last week and hopefully, I'll get accepted."

The 'Shinzo School of Medicine and Arts' was one of the top medical high schools in Japan, although it's acceptance rate was next to almost nothing. The reason it was well known however, was due to the fact that it applied real world problems to the average textbook ones. Not to mention, it tried to challenge every person's way of thinking and open up new boundaries. That was exactly the reason that Sakura wanted to enter it - knowing that if she could get in, she'd definitely learn what she wanted to - that too, before college.

The onyx haired boy watched her for a few seconds, causing the young girl to fidget underneath his heavy, searching gaze. Finally, before she could even see him move, he reached out and poked her, square on her forehead, causing her to clutch her head and scowl at him - confused at the prospect and at how her heart was beating faster than she wished it to be.

'Stupid soulmate bond! Stupid soulmate.'

'...I agree.'

"Hey! What was that for?" She asked, rubbing her head in pain.

"Usuratonkachi." The ebony eyed boy said, tilting his head to the side. "You should be confident."

"Y - You're right." Sakura responded, surprise etched into the skin of her face. Slowly her cheeks twisted into a smile, as she spoke the next words - grateful and understanding. "Thanks Sasuke - kun, I needed that."

'...Maybe he isn't too stupid.'

"Hn."

Checking the time once, Sakura jumped, slightly nervous that she was way past the time she'd promised her father that'd she'd be home. Not to mention...a gasp came to her mouth, as she remembered who was coming to their house for dinner.

"I have to go, my aunt is probably here," The pinkette admitted, watching as the other boys' facial expression twisted slightly, to understanding and then remembrance.

"Your Aunt Fura...right?" He asked softly, watching as her face twisted into shock.

"Y - Yeah." Sakura responded, gulping slightly.

'How did he know?'

Sasuke hummed, and at her curious expression, he sighed and extended his reasoning. "I remember, you've talked about her before."

The older girl titled her head to the side, as she shook her head - her mind racing with memories when she could've brought it up. Finally she bit her lip and frowned, wrinkles forming above her eyebrows. "No I haven't. The only time I've talked about Aunt Fura was when..." She trailed off, her eyes going wide, before her head snapped up. "Don't tell me you remember? That was years ago!?"

Four years exactly, if she remembered it right.

Sasuke shoved out his wrist, causing the pinkette to study the bronze engraving before sighing in understanding. Of course the onyx haired boy would remember it, considering the fact that it was tattooed on his wrist and he had to see it, everyday.

'Aunt Fura, the world wide world sucks! People should just go die in a hole.'

Biting her lip, Sakura laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, I wasn't exactly...in the best of moods during that time. Sorry about that."

"It was my fault as well." The Uchiha said, causing the female to pause and stare at him. "I shouldn't have responded back so...rudely."

"It's fine." Sakura said lightly, chuckles coming out of her mouth a little too loud, as she exhaled slightly. Boy wasn't today a shock - it was almost too much stupor for her to handle. "I understand."

"Shouldn't you be going now, at least you won't get into too much trouble."

Opening her mouth to reply, Sakura was cut off by the sudden buzz of her phone in the inner pocket of her yukata - alerting her of a new text. With her fumbling fingers, she pulled out the small red phone, fastening the other package into her pocket as she did so - making it easier to reach. Her eyes widened when she read who the text was from, before wincing slightly. Hastily, she replied, before shoving the phone back into her pocket and smiling apologetically.

"...You're right. Bye Sasuke - kun!"

Turning around, the pinkette walked forwards, before hesitating and screwing her eyes shut. Her inner clamored loudly of how she shouldn't be a scaredy cat and how she was a strong independent woman, who shouldn't be worried over such a small thing. Summoning up all of the courage in her body, to rise to the top of her bones - Sakura whirled around, facing the back of the Uchiha, before taking in a deep breath.

After all, she was leaving tomorrow, and she couldn't move forwards, with unsaid words holding her back.

"I'm sorry I was so annoying."

"What?" Sasuke asked, before the boy himself, partially turned around. From her view of his face, Sakura could see how his eyebrow was raised in confusion and how his hands clenched together. He tilted his head, indicating that he was listening.

"I've always admired you." The pinkette said calmly, moving her gaze to the ground. "You seem so perfect, in everything you do and I guess that when I learnt that you were my soulmate, I was scared." The girl responded honestly, before continuing.

"It was so frightening I suppose - and frustrating." Sakura replied, languidly and softly.

"...What was?" The ebony eyed boy asked, his voice masked so that she couldn't understand how he was feeling - something which annoyed her to her very core.

"Wondering why someone as perfect as you, had me as your soulmate."

"I'm not perfect." Sasuke said suddenly, his eyes narrowing into her smaller frame, causing her to fidget slightly. "I'm impatient, I have a short fuse - I'm not used to showing people kindness, i'm sarcastic-"

"I know!" Sakura burst out, causing the younger boy to stop and stare at her in confusion. "I've learnt that, and all it's done is make me respect you even more, because now I know that you're not perfect - you're human and it was wrong of me to not treat you as one." She finally admitted, causing the Uchiha to look at her, his face impassive, but eyes wide. "So what if I was jealous of the girls throwing themselves at you; so what if I was in a bad spot as well, and you were my only output - and even if, you were mean to me...I shouldn't have treated you like an object."

The boy seemed to be too shocked to even speak, his mouth opening and closing - as if he was a fly. Smiling slightly, Sakura wiped the tear from her eyes, before closing them and taking in a deep breath. Yeah, it was kind of his fault for ignoring her and being so mean, but in reality she was the one to blame for pushing all of her problems on him, and hoping he would except it. Moving forwards, the young girl pressed a kiss to the Uchiha's cheek, ignoring how smooth the skin was beneath her chapped lips and how he stiffened underneath her kiss; the young girl then, reached into the outer layer of her yukata and shoved the parcel that she'd been fidgeting with all night into his hands.

"Happy Birthday Sasuke." She whispered after she pulled back, before smiling at him.

Whirling around, the young girl sent a cheeky grin over her shoulder towards his stunned face, before hoisting the ends of her yukata up, and sprinting, the air hitting her cheeks, causing her to laugh loudly. Her emerald eyes glistened slightly, as tears began to form near the edges of them.

"Goodbye." Sakura whispered, her words carried away from the wind.

So she did it - she untied the last knot.

She was finally free.

Well, so after writing this prologue for a half a year, it gets published. Hopefully, quality keeps up with quantity for this book. Tell me what you all think!

Just to clear things up, yes this is a SasuSaku book, and yes, Sakura still has a crush on Sasuke, but first, she's going to grow and spread her wings. After all, romance is a side show for now.

Ja ne, and thank you to all of those, who gave my book a try!

~ Titania of Fairies